I saved £10k renovating my council house by doing the work myself

A mum who rented a run-down council house has spent £3k renovating it - using bargains from Primark and B&M - and saved £10k by doing the work herself. Celene Francis, 25, started renting her council house in April 2020 and has renovated the property to make it more of a home.

When she moved in, the mum-of-one said the house was in a "dire condition" with plaster all over the floor, yellow ceilings and wallpaper peeling off the wall. Celene said that she saved a fortune as she did her DIY herself and bought furniture from shops like B&M Bargains, Primark and Ikea - estimating she's saved herself £10k.

Celene, a student midwife and mental health support worker, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: "When we moved in the house was in a terrible state. It was just full of wallpaper - the doors were purple, and the flooring was terrible.

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"The person who previously lived here was a smoker, so all the ceiling and woodwork was yellow, and the garden was overgrown - it was a mess really. I am still doing bits now - I have been renovating the house bit by bit.

"I have saved myself loads of money - I have bought a lot of items from B&M Bargains and Primark. I love the H&M home section, but you walk into B&M Bargains and can get the same stuff for a fraction of the price."

Celene has lived in her council home with her daughter Indie, three, for three years. After getting the keys, she said the house was in an absolute state, desperately needing some care.

She said: "Once we moved in, I just had to gut everything. We got everything out, that's why I went for all-white walls as it was easy and clean. I started off doing up the main rooms,